Do you use Admiralty Small Craft Folio charts? UKHO has just announced that it is planning to withdraw them.

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has made the following announcement:

Following market research, the UKHO intends to withdraw the supply and maintenance of ADMIRALTY Small Craft Folios. However users, your members and/or customers will continue to be supported via a digital solution.

The intention to retire the ADMIRALTY Small Craft Folios is in response to the changing requirements of users and to increase the frequency of updates.

As an alternative to the ADMIRALTY Small Craft Folios, established suppliers in the small craft market will continue to be able to license data from the UKHO to serve those who do not wish to operate digitally.

You are requested to provide feedback to products.feedback@ukho.gov.uk before Friday 11 October 2019.

More information on how this will be implemented will be shared later in the year.

Please note – Standard Nautical Charts are unaffected.

I am bitterly disappointed in the Hydrographic are even considering withdrawing the Leisure Portfolio.   While we will continue to have Imray charts available I prefer the Admiralty ones and use paper charts as my primary navigation tool.  The electronic wizardry that lives up in the cockpit is good as an aide memoire and displayer of data but is hopeless at conveying any meaningful charting information.

As an associate member of the Royal Institute of Navigation and individual member of the RYA I have fed back my feelings and hope that I am in the majority of people that do and that they decide to keep the portfolio. 

Being based in Plymouth, UK I wonder if Seachest can print off charts from the portfolio?  I shall need to ask next time I am visiting the shop.